The Importance of Gun Storage Lockers

If you choose to own a gun you probably need a place to safely store it. We found expert advice for finding the proper gun storage lockers for you and have listed some options below.

Heath Suddleson, President of Executive Achievement, LLC, owns a total of 15 guns including pistols, rifles, and shotguns. After his neighbor’s house caught fire from a lightning strike, Suddleson says he realized that storing his guns was not as important as storing the ammo.

“How many firefighters or neighbors might be hurt if this were my house and the fire reached my ammunition stored in a simple cabinet? …I spent roughly $700 on a gun safe…I needed one large enough to store not only my guns, but the ammo for 15 different calibers and types.

Suddleson says that he now has peace of mind that in the event of a fire, everyone will be safe.

Types of Storage

Lockers come in all shapes and sizes so you have to keep in mind what’s going to work best for what you own. A few different types according to Suddleson are:

Plastic cases- used to transport to and from the range

Small lock boxes- used to store one or two guns in a single location.

“Many of these [cases] have dial combination locks built in, and some have biometric locks using finger print technology. Some are decorative cabinets used to display as well as store. Some are fire rated safes that provide all around storage and protection,” explains Suddleson.

What’s Best?

To decide what locker type is best for you, Suddleson says to ask yourself how many guns need to be stored, and how much ammunition you’ll need for those guns?

“I recommend a healthy combination of shelf space and long gun storage. The shelf space is vital for storing handguns as well as storing and organizing your ammo for ease of access,” says Suddleson.

He also says to think ahead and decide if that storage cabinet has enough space for future purchases.

Safety Tips

Suddleson says that the cardinal rule of gun storage is: to keep them away from those who should not have access.

“I have children, and they have friends over to the house. Kids are curious and kids explore even when you think they won’t. Keeping guns behind locked doors is best. With the exception of one or two guns kept in key locations for home protection or other emergencies, I keep all of my guns in one fire rated safe,” recommends Suddleson.

He adds that in his case, guns not kept in the safe are still kept in locked gun cases with internal combination locks built in. The combinations are not written down and are not the same as any other combinations that his kids might learn.

Ammunition Storage

Suddleson says he doesn’t store the ammunition separate from the gun because the purpose of his storage choice is built around the ammo being kept safe from fire.

“I do not keep guns loaded, though if it is a gun I might use for home protection I do keep one magazine loaded in the safe. Otherwise, all ammo is kept organized in the boxes so that when I go shooting it’s easy to find what I need,” says Suddleson.

Pricing for Gun Storage

Suddleson explains that gun storage can range from $50 to $1500 for a large safe and that one that costs $500-$700 should fit most needs.

And while that may seem like a lot of money, consider that it is essentially the cost of another gun. Suddleson reminds us that peace of mind is invaluable. Knowing that his family and those around them are safe is what matters.

June Brockmeyer is a writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. Her background includes TV news writing and reporting, weather forecasting as well as blogging; specifically for small businesses, software, education and lifestyle. June is fluent in Spanish and has experience in translation, writing and tutoring. Having moved back and forth from the U.S. to Mexico a few times, June enjoys researching new options for storage solutions and moving. She is a fan of organization and celebrates new ideas to help stay clutter-free in her everyday life. She graduated Cum Laude from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and loves to spend time with her husband, baby boy and their cute Havaneese dog, Reef.